Rio’s Back2Black African heritage music festival brought Malian kora player Toumani Diabaté together with Brazilian rock heroes Arnaldo Antunes and Edgard Scandurra in 2010: their collaborative album of thoughtful fusion arrives just in time for the first B2B festival in London.

Diabaté’s son Sidiki takes on kora duties on the livelier tracks; his ability to keep up with Scandurra’s electric guitar boosts opener Cê Não Vai Me Acompanhar and the hectic, Arabic/flamenco-tinged Cara.

Most affecting, though, is the version of Diabaté’s Kaira, a song infused with huge importance by his father (a Malian music legend): this incarnation has touching lyrics about the power of music to effect change and gorgeous backing vocals from Diabaté’s sister-in-law Safiatou. Psych-blues-rock closer Bamako’s Blues, meanwhile, blows the roof off.